Marvel: Sign-In System – Starting with the Glint-Glint Fruit

"Rise, my loyal soldiers."

Matthew did not remain silent for long. Since Reacher and the others had staged this scene, he no longer acted coy about it.

He knew that once he had chosen this path, this day was bound to come eventually.

This was his choice.

Sure enough, when Matthew's gaze swept over each of the soldiers and he solemnly told them to rise, smiles appeared on the faces of all of them, Reacher included. They stood up in perfect unison, their hearts burning hot.

They knew very well that a new era had arrived.

They were its witnesses, and also its creators.

This was their glory, and this moment would forever be remembered in the long river of human history.

"Strucker?"

Matthew did not rush to deal with the twins first. Instead, he looked toward Baron Strucker, one of Captain America's greatest future enemies.

"Y-Yes."

Strucker's heart was already dead with despair. Since the other side had raided his fortress base in this manner, there was no need to guess what they wanted to do.

No matter what, his ending would not be good.

In that case, he might as well kneel cleanly.

"I like your cleverness. Reacher."

Seeing this, Matthew did not waste any more words and glanced at Reacher. Reacher nodded and lightly waved his hand.

One Astartes stepped out from the line, grabbed Baron Strucker, and carried him away.

"No need to stay here. Go do what you need to do."

Matthew waved his hand. Reacher and the other soldiers lowered their heads, struck their right fists against their chests in respect, then turned and left. Their discipline and efficiency were absolute.

With the soldiers gone, Matthew turned his gaze toward the twins.

Seeing that the two of them were wearing thin clothes and shivering slightly in the cold wind blowing in from outside, he smiled and snapped his fingers.

In an instant, a red ripple brushed across the surface of their bodies.

Warmth spread through the twins, driving away the chill.

"Is that a bit warmer?"

"Thank you."

The twins were somewhat unaccustomed to Matthew's concern. After exchanging a glance, it was Wanda, the younger sister, who softly thanked him.

Her voice was somewhat dry, as if she had not spoken for a long time.

"Do you blame me?"

Matthew smiled and suddenly asked a somewhat inexplicable question.

The twins froze after hearing it. Wanda was the first to understand the meaning behind Matthew's words. She looked at him in surprise, then shook her head.

"No."

"This is our fate."

After saying that, she lowered her eyes. Hatred and sorrow appeared on her face.

The hatred was not directed at Matthew, but at the enemies who had buried her parents and family.

Matthew looked at this future famous Scarlet Witch.

He looked at her thin body and the hatred and confusion that still lingered around her, the corners of his lips curving into a slight smile.

"Do you desire power that badly?"

"Yes." The moment they heard Matthew's words, the twins suddenly looked at him together.

"To obtain power, you were willing to voluntarily join a human experimentation enhancement project, all purely for the sake of revenge?"

The twins fell silent.

After exchanging a glance, Wanda pressed her lips together and spoke. "Not only revenge. He could bring hope to this country. He could end the war."

Matthew nodded inwardly. Sure enough, the twins truly thirsted for power, and it was also true that they wanted that power for revenge.

So they had willingly joined Baron Strucker's human experimentation enhancement project.

Beyond that, the twins were kind at their core. They were Sokovians.

Since childhood, they had witnessed everything the people at the bottom of Sokovia had gone through. After war destroyed their family, they were taken in by a shelter. Later, after leaving it, they wandered the streets and even participated in anti-war marches.

So they had also carried the thought of gaining power and driving war out of Sokovia.

It seemed naive on the surface, but that was precisely the tragedy of the twins.

Perhaps, deep down, they might have guessed that Strucker was lying.

But after witnessing violence, helplessness, and the tragic deaths of their loved ones from a young age, their hearts had become extremely starved of safety. They hated the feeling of powerlessness.

They did not want to be manipulated anymore. They did not want to remain victims. They wanted the ability to protect themselves, to protect each other, and to protect their fellow Sokovians.

Strucker had been the twins' only chance.

"Then what if I told you that Sokovia's war has already ended?" Matthew asked.

The twins' pupils widened slightly. "The war… ended?"

"An hour ago, my army occupied all of Sokovia. The government forces and the rebel army have been suppressed. My troops are now stationed across the country, and the gangs within Sokovia have been purged."

Matthew's voice was soft as he explained.

"The war is over."

The twins stared at him blankly, their hearts filled with disbelief.

They could not believe that this boy in front of them, who looked about the same age as them, would so calmly claim that he had already ended Sokovia's war and chaos.

He had even occupied the entire country.

Was that possible?

At first, the twins did not believe it. But when they thought of what they had just seen—the Astartes and Raven soldiers who were so powerful they were almost suffocating—they found themselves unable not to believe.

"Is that true? The war is over?" Pietro, who had originally been the most withdrawn, could no longer hold back. He spoke excitedly and even stepped forward.

But when his eyes met Matthew's gaze, he ultimately stopped.

His gaze drifted away again.

Fortunately, Matthew gave him a firm answer.

"It's over. There will be no more war in Sokovia."

"You… who exactly are you?" Pietro fell silent, but Wanda gathered her courage and asked.

"Me?"

Matthew looked at the girl who dared to meet his eyes and chuckled softly. "Didn't you hear what Reacher said just now?"

He repeated Reacher's words.

"I am the shepherd of mankind, the guardian of souls."

"I am the supreme Emperor."

Wanda was stunned speechless by Matthew's almost arrogant words.

Had it been someone else, she would have thought they were a proud and delusional madman.

But after everything she had just experienced, and after seeing the confidence hidden beneath Matthew's calm expression, for some reason, she actually believed him.

"Emperor?"

Wanda silently chewed over the word. After a long while, she asked, "Will you bring peace to your people?"

"Of course. Within my territory, there will be no war. There will be no pitiful people who lose their homes because of war, and there will be no children left hungry and cold because of greed and corruption."

"Are the Sokovian people your people?"

"Yes. And not only Sokovia."

Wanda stopped asking. Pietro had long since been shocked speechless. She took a deep breath, and her beautiful yet tired eyes reddened.

"Can I… can I witness it?" Wanda's voice carried a hint of tears.

How long had it been? For so many years, this had been the hope of countless Sokovians.

But what waited for them had only been despair, again and again.

A rotten government caused the people to suffer. The rebels would overthrow that government and establish a new one. Each time, they brought people hope, yet each time, they walked the same old path as the government before them.

Again and again.

The people had grown numb.

This time, was it real?

"Of course you can."

Matthew walked forward, reached out, and wiped away the tears that had fallen from her eyes. His voice was gentle.

"Everyone is a witness."